Principal Mechanical Operations Engineer - Data CentersThis is a full-time exempt (40+ hours/week), remote role within the United States with travel as required.
SummaryWe are seeking a Principal Mechanical Operations Engineer to serve as the senior technical authority for mechanical and cooling infrastructure across a rapidly expanding portfolio of hyperscale AI data centers. This role will provide operational leadership for critical cooling systems, establish mechanical readiness standards, and ensure successful transition of facilities from commissioning into steady-state operations.
The successful candidate will drive operational excellence across chilled water plants, cooling towers, liquid cooling systems, CDUs, pumps, CRAH/CRAC infrastructure, and other mission-critical mechanical systems. This position will also play a key role in evaluating site readiness, conducting operational audits, supporting future facility designs, and developing scalable operational standards as the data center portfolio continues to grow.
Key Responsibilities - Serve as the senior technical authority for operational mechanical and cooling infrastructure across the data center fleet
- Lead site assessments, operational audits, and readiness evaluations for existing and new facilities
- Assess mechanical system performance, reliability, maintainability, and operational risk
- Drive technical readiness programs and support operational teams prior to site activation
- Review engineering designs, equipment specifications, and construction deliverables from an operational perspective
- Collaborate with design, engineering, and manufacturing teams to incorporate operational lessons learned into future deployments
- Provide subject matter expertise for:
- Chilled water systems
- Chillers
- Cooling towers
- CRAH and CRAC units
- Pumps and hydronic systems
- Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs)
- Direct liquid cooling systems
- Lead operational readiness reviews and approve commissioning-to-operations handovers
- Author and approve high-risk:
- Methods of Procedure (MOPs)
- Emergency Operating Procedures (EOPs)
- Abnormal Operating Procedures (AOPs)
- Lead root cause analysis investigations for cooling system failures, outages, and operational incidents
- Develop and maintain mechanical operating standards, maintenance strategies, and best practices
- Mentor site teams and improve technical readiness across the organization
- Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on cooling efficiency, reliability, and operational excellence
Our Ideal Candidate - 10+ years of experience supporting mission-critical mechanical systems in data centers, industrial facilities, healthcare, semiconductor, or similar critical environments
- Deep expertise in cooling infrastructure and thermal management systems
- Extensive experience with:
- Chilled water systems
- Chillers
- Cooling towers
- CRAH and CRAC equipment
- Pumps and hydronic distribution systems
- Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs)
- Direct liquid cooling technologies
- Proven experience authoring and executing high-risk mechanical operating procedures
- Strong background leading root cause investigations for cooling-related incidents and operational events
- Experience evaluating site operational readiness and identifying opportunities for improvement
- Ability to develop technical capabilities and readiness programs for operations teams
- Strong understanding of reliability engineering, preventive maintenance, and operational risk management
- Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills
- Ability to influence design decisions through operational expertise
Preferred Qualifications - Experience supporting hyperscale or large colocation data center environments
- Experience operating facilities at hundreds of megawatts of capacity
- Expertise in direct liquid cooling systems and CDU operations
- Familiarity with ASHRAE TC 9.9 guidelines and best practices
- Experience optimizing chilled water plant performance and efficiency
- Knowledge of commissioning and operational turnover processes for mission-critical facilities
- Uptime Institute certifications or equivalent mission-critical training
- Experience supporting modular or prefabricated infrastructure deployments
Compensation & Benefits - The pay for this W-2 position ranges from [$96.15 - $129.81] per hour
- Medical Coverage: Two United Healthcare plans (PPO and HDHP with HSA), with employer contributions toward premiums; coverage begins the 1st of the month after 60 days of employment
- Dental & Vision: United Healthcare dental with 100% preventive care coverage and vision benefits for exams, frames, lenses, or contacts
- Wellbeing Support: Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offering confidential counseling plus additional wellness and care navigation resources
- Retirement & Savings: 401(k) eligible after 30 days with automatic 6% enrollment (opt-out available), 1% annual increases up to 10%, plus HSA with up to $480 employer contribution
- Voluntary Benefits: Employee-paid accident insurance and critical illness coverage for major health events
Equal Opportunity EmployerWe are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
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